3 Weeks After Diabetes Driven French Open Controversy, Alexander Zverev Leverages His Foundation to Take the Fight to the Deadly Disease

In 2022, the German tennis star Alexander Zverev revealed that he was diagnosed with diabetes at age 3. And doctors had even told him about the impossibility of pursuing sports as a career. Yet the German star was able to climb high in the tennis world. Now, he is proving his doctors wrong with his recent performances as well. In the French Open, he reached the semifinal stage where he lost to Casper Ruud. And in the Queen’s Championship too, he reached the semifinals. But the star is not only fighting on the tennis turf alone to prove his doctors wrong. He is caring for other children as well, the latest being the milestone achieved by his foundation.

Alexander Zverev shines in his battle against diabetes

The Alexander Zverev Foundation recently raised 10,94,978 USD to help children suffering from diabetes. The Instagram page of Zverev‘s foundation announced the same, recently. Also, it shared a few photographs of the star celebrating the milestones. It captioned the pictures with these words, “The Alexander Zverev Foundation event was a dream. We couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Zverev founded the organization in 2022 with a mission to provide medicine and insulin to children, especially in the developing countries. Zverev had stated the aims of the foundation in these words back on 2022, “Our mission is to provide insulin and life-saving medicine to children in developing countries and those in need. As a type 1 diabetic myself, I want to encourage children with diabetes to never give up on their dreams, no matter what others might say to you.”

But the way the German star has been compassionate to the people, many have not been compassionate to him, especially in the French Open.

Attitude of the French Open officials towards diabetic Zverev

Suffering from type 1 diabetes, Zverev needs to take insulin several times in a match. But the French Open officials denied him that, recently. Even though he is allowed to take insulin in all other ATP tours, organizers turned down his requests. When he stressed that his life will be in danger, the officials told him not to take it on the court but outside. And the reason that authorities gave was that it looks ‘weird’ on the court. Zverev shot back, “Why does it look weird? That I dope myself?

Read More: Why Is Alexander Zverev Nicknamed As “Sascha”?

Though officials suggested that he take the insulin during toilet breaks but there are only two toilet breaks. And Zverev needed to take it five times in a five match set.

It is not the first time that people have not been empathetic towards his condition. Sometime back, he revealed how children bullied him about being diabetic during his childhood. But Zverev overcame that difficult period and is now helping thousands of children fight diabetes.

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